Dallas City Council members on Friday called for the city’s inspector general and auditor to investigate how the city lost $30 million from Dallas Area Rapid Transit for public transportation-related projects.
The $30 million was part of $111 million Dallas was originally set to get in 2023 from DART in excess sales tax money that could be used for public transportation-related projects like sidewalk, bus stop and traffic upgrades. But the city received $30 million less than expected after DART officials withheld the money to help cover construction delays and cost overruns tied to the Silver Line rail project. The line opened late last year and runs between DFW International Airport and Plano.
The Hillcrest Pump Station, a Far North Dallas stormwater pump station, was not part of the original plan to build the 26-mile rail line. It became necessary after the city required raising the rail line over Hillcrest Road in Dallas, which led to drainage challenges.
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Randall Bryant, the DART Board chair, said the rail project faced more than a year of delays caused by city actions, including insisting on a more expensive site for the pump station. For example, one property appraised at $1.2 million was purchased by DART for $3.35 million. The transit agency also bought three other nearby properties above their appraised values to secure construction access.
“I do believe we estimated about 746 days worth of delays in total for various reasons, but specifically, we estimated that about 500 or so of those days came from direct relations with the city of Dallas,” Bryant said during Friday’s Ad Hoc Committee on General Investigating and Ethics city meeting.
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Trey Walker, DART’s vice president of capital design and construction, confirmed that eminent domain was not used in Dallas for the Silver Line. Instead, property owners demanded full purchases rather than easements, and DART complied to avoid further delays. Bryant and Walker noted that the pump station is now owned and maintained by the city, while DART is still selling the residential properties it acquired.
Council member Gay Donnell Willis, the committee’s chair, questioned whether city procedures were followed and warned that the situation raises concerns about potential waste. She urged a review to strengthen internal processes before future collaborations with DART.
Council member Lorie Blair echoed those concerns and asked whether any of the lost $30 million could have been used in her southern Dallas district, where some bus stops lack coverings or seating for riders.
“I believe that the precedent that was set here demands that we do our due diligence within the city to discover, uncover and find out why, and set precedence and roadblocks so we don’t do this again,” Blair said.
Interim Inspector General Baron Eliason didn’t immediately respond Friday to a request for comment on whether his office would investigate the matter. Council member Cara Mendelsohn, who represents the district where the pump station is located and Silver Line travels through, also didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.